New EW career field to 'blind enemy' with science

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/11/17/14308-new-ew-career-field-to-blind-enemy-with-science/



Nov 17, 2008
BY C. Todd Lopez

By 2010 the Army expects to have more than 1,500 Soldiers trained in the art of "blinding and deafening" America's enemies by wielding the radio spectrum as a weapon. Photo by File photo
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 17, 2008) -- By 2010 the Army expects to have more than 1,500 Soldiers trained in the art of "blinding and deafening" America's enemies by wielding the radio spectrum as a weapon.


The Army has in the past relied heavily on both the Navy and the Air Force for their electronic warfare capability, said Col. Laurie G. Buckhout, the Army's chief of electronic warfare. But the service plans to remedy that by creating a new electronic warfare career field for officers, warrant officers and enlisted members.


"We're going to be able to protect ourselves from spectrum-using threats, which we can't really do for ourselves today," said Buckhout. "We have the Air Force and the Navy doing that for us now and that is getting a little old for them and old for us. We want to be able to attack, blind, deafen and isolate the enemy before he does it to us."


The Army doesn't really plan on making anybody actually blind or deaf. Instead, it plans on providing Soldiers with the training and equipment they need to effectively wage war within the radio spectrum and to apply fires on that new battlefield that can destroy the ability of the enemy to communicate amongst themselves.


"Electronic warfare is the new battlefield, it's our new domain," said Buckhout.

To man the guns on that new battlefield, in both offensive and defensive roles, the Army is creating the 29-series career field for electronic warfare operators and officers.


The Army recently pushed seven officers through a new pilot course at Fort Sill, Okla., a course that will qualify those Soldiers to carry the designation of electronic warfare officer, should Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. sign off on a Force Design Update sometime next month.

[Ian David]

1. We already have something that interferes with the ability to communicate.

It's called "Windows Vista."